Take the Time
by MegaDarkly
Summary: History always repeats itself but Keitaro didn't think that it was meant literally. Waking up in the past and armed with the knowledge of the future, he now has the choice to right the wrongs he's made. One of those wrongs was falling for Naru. Realizing the potential of another love, he sets his eyes on someone new. Someone who wouldn't see it coming.
1. Chapter 1: Groundhog

"Speaking"

' _Thinking'_

Disclaimer: The characters are owned by Ken Akamatsu. I do not own these characters or the series Love Hina, but I did come up with this idea for it. ;)

Take the Time

Chapter 1: Groundhog

"PERVERT!"

"WAAAAH!"

A shriek, a punch, and a man flying out of a building is the normal routine within the confines of a small dormitory named Hinata House. Keitaro flew off into the distance before he landed into a tree, breaking a few branches on the way down and roughly landed on the ground on the side of his neck that shouldn't even be humanly possible to recover from. The man sighed as he pulled himself back up slowly with his hands resting on his knees, "Naru's been punching me more recently. I mean, I didn't even do anything this time," He said as he brushed leaves off of his white button down shirt, "I don't even see the dormitory from this distance. Might as well start walking now."

The breeze was cool and sensational as he trudged hopelessly back to his home. He looked up into the sky and noticed the purple and red hues that emanated in the air. It was such a pretty sight to behold and left the man feeling a little better. He didn't think that it would be this difficult to live in this place but here he walked back to it as if he was hypnotized. It was something that he couldn't forget or ignore. He had to go back. It's his job as the landlord. But to be honest, Keitaro was tired. Looking as if he found a sign from heaven, he saw a bench and decided to sit down. A long sigh escaped his lips as he leaned into the backrest with his head flipped behind it, "Sometimes I really do wonder what I'm doing all of this for. It seems like nothing ever gets better. I've been trying to get on their good side and I always somehow mess everything up. Even with Naru as my girlfriend, I can never seem to keep things normal or happy. Everything always gets destroyed. The mood, the dormitory…"

"Urashima?"

His eyes opened abruptly and took notice of a raven haired woman standing next to the bench. Her hair was cut short and she wore a T-shirt with some blue jeans, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh ah!" He fidgeted in his seat as he tried to explain himself, "I kinda got sent into the air by Naru again. Haha!"

"Is what you said true?"

"Huh?" Keitaro went wide eyed as he saw her own eyes slant slightly in sadness, "What do you mean?"

"All of those things you said. Does it really feel that way to you?"

"You were eavesdropping on me?" Keitaro said a little panicked. He thought he was alone. He was far enough from the dorms, but he entirely forgot that Motoko went on a trip back to Kyoto recently, _'I completely forgot! Motoko was coming back today and she heard the things that I said.'_ "I uhm… Uh…" He was tongue tied and completely lost for words, but Motoko didn't give him too much time before she sat down next to him.

"Keitaro… If you need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to talk to me," She started while looking into his eyes, "Do you really feel like the Hinata House has become a burden?

The guy sighed heavily as he carefully weighed his options. He could run away, but then he would possibly have to deal with Motoko following him and fighting him to submission. Feeling like he didn't have any way out, he quietly spoke, "I… I kinda feel like nothing is working out. Even with me going to Tokyo U and how Naru and I are finally together, I still feel like something isn't right."

"Is it me?" The woman with widened eyes asked curiously, _'Could Keitaro really be second guessing his relationship with Naru and possibly thinking about us? But that's not right… What's going on?'_ "Is it any of us at Hinata-Sou that are causing this dilemma?"

"Sigh, I don't think it's just you guys. I think it also has something to do with how I feel about myself. I just don't feel like Naru and I should be together. I don't know… Maybe I'm just a little confused." He chuckled softly, "It's almost as if I'm lost."

Motoko looked to the man somberly, _'It's possible that the daily routine that he deals with is finally taking its toll on him. I feel worried.'_ She took a light breath through her nose before she spoke, "Keitaro…" She replied while laying a hand on his shoulder, "If there's anything I can do to help you, you know that I'm there for you."

He got up rather abruptly before he just started walking away. He stopped a few paces ahead and turned his face to meet hers, "Hehe, I know Motoko-chan, thanks for talking to me. I just need a little more time to think things over. I may be a little late coming home. Don't worry about me though."

Motoko only watched as he disappeared into the distance, walking the opposite way of the Hinata-Sou. She glanced down into her lap and flexed her fingers mindlessly. She didn't know what the guy was thinking, but he seemed to be in an even worse state than ever before, _'I think Naru is causing him some problems. I may have to relay this information to her soon. Although…'_ She shook her head, _'No, I can't do that. It would be wrong to her. But…'_ Unfortunately for Motoko, she was still trying to ignore her feelings for Keitaro. It tended to be difficult when she saw him basically everyday. She swallowed before walking to the dormitory.

Her slow ascension on the steps left her pondering silently to her tapping shoes. The wind blew slightly while she took a few strands and tucked them behind her ear. Sliding the front door open, she was welcomed with the scent of food wafting through the air, "I'm home everyone," Motoko said to no one in particular. While she was taking off her shoes, little footsteps padded towards the front door.

"Yaaaay! Motoko! I'm happy to see you!" Suu shouted exuberantly while giving her a bone crushing hug, "Did ya get me anything!?"

"Not this time Suu-chan," She replied with a smile. It was always nice to come back to all the ones she cared for, "I hope you have been good to Keitaro and the others."

"I have," Suu answered with a smile, "Naru's been a little angrier recently but it's been great anyway!"

Motoko saved that piece of information in her mind as Suu let go of her.

"Ah! Motoko-sempai! Welcome home!" Shinobu said in surprise, "I'm almost finished making dinner so please wait just a little while longer."

"Of course," Motoko said as she walked away from the kitchen, "I will be in my room if anyone needs me."

"Y-Yes!"

Motoko thoughtfully walked up the stairs to her room when she saw Naru walking down the steps simultaneously.

"Oh! Motoko! I didn't expect you to be here," Naru gasped with a smile, "How was your trip?"

Motoko stared at the other woman before smiling lightly, "It was enjoyable. It helped me with my meditation and concentration."

"Hey, that's great!" She responded while slapping Kendo girl's back lightly, "At least you didn't have to deal with Keitaro while you were gone. Recently, he's been a-"

"Actually, Naru, if I may have a word with you."

"Uhm, sure."

Motoko looked into her eyes rather intensely and gave the other girl a bit of an awkward chill, "I ran into Keitaro on the way here. He seemed to have come from one of his recent flights from your strong punch."

"Sigh, Yeah, I've about had it with him," She responded tiredly, "He grabbed me in an uncomfortable place and I had to deal with him like I normally do. He never learns." She shook her head in defeat.

Eyes narrowed slightly, "It is true that Urashima can be a bit perverse, but you are his girlfriend are you not?" The raven haired woman asked in a no nonsense tone, "You've been together a little over a year and yet he can't touch you without getting hit?"

Naru opened her eyes at Motoko's sudden backlash, "W-where's all this coming from?"

Motoko tsked as she continued to walk upwards and away from the other girl, "Sometimes, I wonder if you even deserve Keitaro."

With nothing more to say, the kendoist left the other woman to her thoughts. Naru stood dumbfounded at Motoko's brutal honesty, _'Why was she saying such things? She just gets home and immediately berates me. I mean, Keitaro does deserve to get hit…'_ Forgetting entirely what she was coming downstairs for, she walked back upstairs and went to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Keitaro opened the entrance to Hinata-Sou and took off his sneakers. Glancing at his watch he noticed that it was a little past eight at night. Dinner had already taken place and the dormitory was a lot quieter than earlier during the day. Having the long walk helped his emotions a little, but his thoughts still lingered and ran rampant in his head, _'Does Naru really like me? I mean, I know that she cares about me, but does she really love me? I just feel like we've lost something important in our relationship.'_

"OW!"

Keitaro looked up and noticed that he stepped on Naru's foot. He didn't even realize that she was there. He was too preoccupied with his thoughts to ever register the fact that the poor man was walking into someone. Getting down on his knees, he pushed his head into the ground and begged, "I'm sorry Naru! I honestly didn't see you there. It was my mistake. Honest!"

The girl rubbed her foot continuously as she looked at him. She was trying to get his attention before he ultimately stepped on her and that aggravated her. She shook her fist at the poor man, "Watch where you're going next time! You could have fallen on top of me!"

"Yes! I'm so sorry Naru!" He said frighteningly quickly. He really didn't feel like walking home again, especially after his long thought filled walk that he had before. He just wanted to eat a little and go to bed. Was that too much to ask for?

She sighed and stood up again, "Geez Keitaro, sometimes I worry about you. Where've you been anyway? You were supposed to be home several hours ago."

"Sorry Naru. After you punched me, I decided to go for a walk and I got lost in thought. Before I knew it, it was already seven o'clock and I was almost in the city."

"I'm surprised you didn't get mugged," Naru replied off handedly.

"Yeah right, they'd take one good look at me and know I'm struggling. They'd probably give me something instead of trying to steal from me," He said listlessly.

"Just be careful if you start going out there like that. You could end up hurting yourself," She retorted while walking to the kitchen, "Sometimes, I just don't get you."

"Hehe, Yeah," Was all Keitaro could reply as he walked to the bath. He could really use one right now.

After soaking in the bath, he walked downstairs to grab some leftovers from the refrigerator. Looking at what was prepared, he wished that he made it home earlier. Unfortunately, he will have to warm it up in the microwave but he didn't mind too much. He pulled the foods out and put portions of them on a plate, placing it in the microwave and pressing a random number. He leaned against the smooth cool counter and stared at the ceiling.

"Are you feeling well?"

His thoughts left him as he looked over to the door of the kitchen and noticed someone standing there, "Oh, hey Motoko. I'm feeling fine. I'm just heating up some food is all. How are you?"

"I'm feeling well. I was just about to rest when I saw the kitchen light left on. I expected you to be down here," She crossed her arms as she rested against the door frame. Actually, she was waiting for him to come home. The things that she said to him really struck a chord. She had to say something. It tightened her heart seeing the man that she lo- Well, she can't really say that anymore.

"Yeah, I'm a little hungry, but I made it too late for dinner," He chuckled, "I'm just a screw up sometimes."

She lowered her eyes at his accusation, "What makes you say that?"

He gazed upon the ground and took a long breath, "With the way everything has been going recently, I just feel like I'm a failure. It's hard to keep moving forward whenever I feel like I'm standing still."

"Keitaro, you're not standing still," Motoko replied in a whisper, "You've got to think positive."

"Stop saying that Motoko," Keitaro replied with a frown, "I really am just a failure."

Before he could react, Motoko placed her hand upon his head and slightly ruffled his hair. Her face had a slight blush to it as she smiled, "Keitaro, no one is perfect."

His eyes widened as he took in what she just said, "You…"

At that moment, a beeping noise echoed through their ear splitting silence, but Keitaro completely forgot about his food as he looked into the eyes of the woman in front of him. _'Those words…'_

"An honorable and intelligent man spoke those words to me during my lowest times," Her arm lowered to her side as she continued, "He inspired me to become something that I never thought I would be. He helped me overcome my own fears and self-loathing," Keitaro looked down to his feet in contemplation as she continued, "That man is still there, but he is also facing his difficult times. Even if no one else notices, I will always be wary of his internal struggles for he was wary of mine."

"Motoko, I… I don't know what to say."

She smiled as she walked back over to the kitchen entrance, "Just say that you won't give up. Have more faith in yourself. You're not as bad off as you want yourself to believe."

Keitaro's throat ran dry as he tried to speak, "T-Thank you… I… needed that."

"You're most welcome," She replied with a firm smile, "Now if you will excuse me, I must retreat to my room for rest. I have to practice in the morning."

"Yeah, talk uh… talk to you tomorrow," He answered as he watched her leave. While he pulled his food out of the microwave, he couldn't help but think about her comments, _'Motoko has changed so much. She's entirely different from how she was when we first met. She didn't really like me back then either.'_ He grinned slightly as he pulled out some chopsticks to eat.

Turning off the light, Keitaro walked to his futon to lay down. He had college again in the morning and knowing how it was going to turn out, he would have to study more after class. He needed the energy and wasn't going to play around tonight. He reached over to his alarm clock and set it to his usual time, then pulled the covers over his shoulders and sighed one final time. That small talk he had with Motoko really brightened up his spirits, _'That reminds me. Naru didn't even notice that I was struggling at all. I would figure that she would be the first person to notice it. She didn't even say good night to me,'_ He sighed as he stared up at the hole in his ceiling, "The least you could do is pop your head down and tell me good night."

He rolled over in his futon as he gave up on his frustrations. He honestly didn't have any more energy to focus on such mentally demanding things. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to drift off into unconsciousness, _'I wonder if Motoko would have treated me differently if she was my girlfriend? Wait… Did I really say that just now?'_ He snickered through his nose while trying to sleep, _'Yeah, that's a silly thought. I know she told me that she loved me back then, but it just seems so strange to think about Sword wielding, anti-man Motoko having feelings for me,'_ He tried to follow that stream of consciousness and found his explorative side curious, _'I wonder what that would have been like…_ _eh.. it's whatever. I'll just sleep now.'_

Keitaro began to idly think about food and his classes before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

*Morning*

5:59

6:00

 _*Fsh.. Then put yourrr little hand in miiiine~ There ain't no hill or mountain~ We can't cliiimb~ Babe… I got you babe~_

Keitaro slowly opened his eyes to the music playing on his alarm. He didn't remember setting his alarm to the radio and looked over to his right. It blared bright red numbers that said it was six in the morning, _'That's weird. I've never heard this song before. It doesn't help that it's in English.'_

" _Okay campers! Rise and shine and don't forget your little booties because it's COLD out there!" "It's COLD out there everyday. What is this Miami Beach?" "Not hardly. You can expect hazardous travel later with that blizzard thing." "That blizzard… thing?" "Yeah" "Oh well here's a…"_

' _Did I tap into an American radio station or something? Suu must have tinkered with my alarm clock,'_ He could only sigh as he pressed the button to his alarm, completely silencing the device, _'I'm gonna have a talk with her later,'_ He began to put on his glasses when he found out that they were bigger than before, "Huh? These are my old glasses. Agh! Suu must be playing a prank on me today. This must be "Mess with Keitaro" day!" He rustled his clothes as he pulled them off. He was wearing entirely different night clothes than he put on last night. He only sighed further as he went to look for his clothes. None of his newer fashionable clothes were in the closet and he could only sigh even further as he found a button up shirt and some blue jeans. Quickly putting those on, he looked around his room and noticed a lot of things were missing. Most of his books that he owned from studying weren't even there and the room looked more barren than when he last saw it, _'I must have been conked out last night for me to miss all of the noise. There's no way that I wouldn't be able to hear her coming into my room and taking everything like this.'_ "I'll have a talk with her later."

He opened his door and walked into the hallway. The sunlight was echoing against the walls and gave the halls a warm glow of the morning sun. He sauntered to the kitchen and prepared himself a light breakfast meal and noticed that the kitchen looked a little more aged than usual. He didn't really pay it too much mind though because he wanted to be on time for his class at Tokyo U. It was a good thing that he didn't oversleep for a change. He was actually surprised that Naru wasn't already awake and moving. She was usually awake before he was and sometimes she would even wake him up before she got ready. It must not have been one of those days, _'Naru must have went on without me. It doesn't surprise me that she didn't wake me up.'_

Taking a final sip of his drink, he walked outside and left the Hinata-Sou. His trip was short, but he didn't mind. He believed that having a small break from Naru would be a good thing. His thoughts seemed to be a little clearer this morning, "I think today will be a great day."

"WHAT!?"

"I-I'm sorry sir, but you're not on our list. We don't even know who you are."

"But there has to be a mistake! I've been in Tokyo U since last year."

"We're terribly sorry. We don't know what else to tell you."

"Urgh! Damn it Suu! Now you've gone too far!" He stormed out of the front office of Tokyo U and ran quickly back to the trolley. He had a lot of talking to do to that young lady and wouldn't stop until he got everything fixed, "She's totally ruining my day! I didn't even think she would go this far!"

Around half past eight in the morning, Keitaro finally made it back to the dormitory. He climbed those steps rather quickly, and noticed his instant fatigue that washed over him, _'Man, have I really been ignoring my health this badly?'_ Insisting that he exercised more, he continued relentlessly up the staircase to the Hinata-Sou. Making it to the top, winded and trying to catch his breath, he stomped heavy footsteps inside the main room, "SUU! Where are you!?"

No quicker than he said her name, she ran into the main room and planted a super kick in his face, "HEY KEITARO!"

"GWAH!" His nose bled profusely as he tried to stifle the flow with his fingers, "Suu! Why did you change my stuff in my room? Also, why did you mess with my Tokyo U registration!? I can't go to class because of you!"

The dark skinned girl looked at him strangely before she smiled, "Sorry Keitaro. I don't know what you're talking about," Then she darted away from him rather swiftly and disappeared from sight.

' _Was it me or did she look younger?'_ He couldn't help but notice the way she looked whenever she came in. She was also more hyper than usual. It was like a feeling of Déjà vu. Breathing tiredly, he told himself he would get back to her later. Right now, he had to talk to Naru and let her know what happened, _'If anything, she would at least help me fix my problem.'_ "If only Naru were here. Too bad she's already at Tokyo U."

"What are you blabbering about now?"

Looking over to his right, he saw Naru standing in her morning clothes beside him. She had just walked down the stairs and saw the guy with a bloody nose. Of course, she went to investigate, _'Naru looks a little strange. I can't place my finger on it.'_ "Oh, I'm so happy that you're here. I need your help with Suu! She changed all of the things in my room and even changed my registration at Tokyo U! They told me that I wasn't a student there at all. AT ALL!" He began to shake her shoulders while moping. The tear streaks down his cheeks very evident upon his face.

Naru only looked at him with a slight blush before she developed a tick mark, "What do you mean?! You don't even go to Tokyo University. Stop lying! We already know that you're a preparation student. It's too late to try and get out of that now."

"What?" He widened his eyes in confusion, "Are you in on Suu's pranks too? Ah hah hah hah, Okay, I get it. It's very funny. You guys can cut it out now. I just want to go to class today like I'm supposed to."

"Keitaro, are you feeling alright?" Naru asked with furrowed eyebrows, "You're not a Tokyo U student. You and I both know that you go with me to the Prep school. You're only a 49th percentile to top it off!"

"What?" _'No, this can't be…'_ Things started to come crashing down on him as he slowly started to figure out just what exactly was going on here.

"Urashima!?"

A voice that normally sounded more feminine now had more edge and assertiveness to it, _'And younger?'_

"It's this early in the morning and you're already starting your ways," Motoko replied rather harshly and without any care.

"Hold on Motoko," Naru caught her while the other woman was trying to unsheathe her blade, "I think Keitaro might not be feeling well."

He took a good look at Motoko and immediately noticed the difference. ' _Her hair is long. She looks way younger than before. Naru looks younger. I have none of my new clothes. My books are gone. My glasses. My college registration… That can only mean. That means…'_ "I'm in the past."

"Huh?" Naru said confused as she looked at the ronin, but not too much longer before he started to swoon and fell over. Naru gasped and that was the last thing that he heard before he blacked out.

 **Author's Notes: Wow. I can't believe I actually started writing this. For some reason, I got sick to death of just reading fanfictions of Love Hina. I wanted to actually write one of my own and this is the result. I came up with some pretty good planning for this one. The entire story is basically thought out all of the way. It won't be too long. Maybe ten chapters or more. No more than 20 for sure. I think this story could actually happen if it was set in this particular way. You'll just have to see what I mean as the story progresses. I'm really loving the ideas I have for it. I've always been reading stories where the girls somehow go back in time. This one has Keitaro go back in time instead. I don't know why no one has thought it this way. Also, in case you didn't get the reference, the whole idea behind the clock with the song and the radio guys is a cameo of the move Groundhog's Day. It's one of my favourite movies and inspired me to write this story. No, Keitaro will not live the same day over and over. It was just a one-time cameo that I wanted to put in for giggles and enjoyment.**

 **Read and Review please. It helps me with how people view the story so far. Thank you very much!**


	2. Chapter 2: It's in the Past

"Speaking"

' _Thinking'_

Chapter 2: It's in the Past

' _What time is it? Where am I?' He could only see white and it completely immersed his line of sight. All he knew was that he was cold and felt tired. He felt something lift his head into the air and immediately afterwards, he felt a warm liquid trail down his throat, 'What's going on?' He slowly felt his head return to its earlier position and felt something cool land on his forehead. It helped ease the tension that he was feeling. The heat that permeated through to his bones. Such an intense sensation. Slowly, he saw started to see shapes. A few of them to be exact. They warbled in his vision and floated back and forth. His vision became clearer until he started to hear a numb noise. It got louder and louder until he could hear the voice of a woman._

"-taro, Keitaro, can you hear me?"

His vision cleared and he saw an auburn haired woman looking down to him. Peering from his left to his right, he saw a couple of other people line his vision. Naru on the right, Motoko stood in the middle, and Suu was to his left with a teary eyed Shinobu. Keitaro tried to speak but his voice couldn't hold a sound. He lightly coughed out loud from trying to clear his throat, "W-what happened?"

Naru frowned at the man as he laid there motionlessly minus his shallow breathing, "You kinda scared us, you know that?"

"Huh?"

"You came home talking about how you were already a Tokyo U student and that you were in the past. Then you fell over unconscious. I checked your forehead and you were burning up with a fever. We all helped in bringing you to your room and you've been asleep since then," Naru said with a worried look plastered on her face, "We thought you were gonna die or something."

"S-Sempai, You didn't look so well and we all thought it was best to take care of you until you get better," Shinobu said earnestly while balling her fists to her chest.

"Sorry that I hurt you Keitaro," Suu said with a lowered head, "I didn't know that you were sick."

Looking over to her, he could only smile at her innocent personality, "It's okay, Suu-chan. I know you didn't mean it."

Her lips curled lightly at his answer as she got up and walked out of the manager's room. Naru looked over to Shinobu and gave her an assured smile, "Don't worry Shinobu. We will take care of Keitaro from here. Could you take care of some of his chores today? I don't think he will be moving for at least the rest of the day."

The younger girl smiled as she turned, "Yes, I will get right on that, Naru-sempai!" She walked rather quickly out of the room with only three people remaining.

Keitaro looked at Naru rather strangely as she said that, but he left himself to his thoughts, _'It looks like I really am in the past. I woke up and everyone still looks the same as before. It's not a dream either. What's going on with that? I went to sleep and woke up back in time. If I went back in time, then I must know where I ended up. Maybe I can ask Naru?"_

"Hey, Naru?" He mustered out.

"Yeah?" She replied curiously.

"Uhm, what's today's date?"

Her eyebrows furrowed a little at his question, "It's the 25th of January. Why?"

"Uh, what year?"

She looked at him strangely but answered anyway, "1998."

He looked surprised to Naru but immediately changed his features to that of a contemplative nature, _'So, let me get this straight. I first arrived near the beginning of August. That would make…' He counted thoughtfully, '…roughly four months since my initial arrival. This is… after my graded exams. I remember. I made 600 points on the self-assessment. I was very proud of that, but I failed the second exams. It's also before February, so that means that Valentine's Day hasn't passed yet. That basically means that… I arrived when I got sick for the first time at Hinata-Sou. I did get sick. That's for sure. Everyone made sure to never make me forget that,'_ He shuddered at the sudden memory. But things have already changed from that time. Most of the people that were in his room are already gone, _'I've already changed the past and I only just arrived. I guess the Butterfly Effect really holds true.'_

"Urashima," Motoko said gaining the attention of the others in the room, "It is highly unfortunate and quite foolish that you have fallen ill at such a demanding time, but fear not, I've prepared some special ingredients to aid you in your fight against the cold," He watched in horror as the frog and lizard that was held in her hands were dropped into a bowl and crushed together, "It is a secret that has been passed down through the clan. With this, it should cure you in no time."

The slight smile of satisfaction across her face left him feeling strange, _'Actually, I never noticed, but Motoko seems to be proud to aid me in some way. She must be happy that she is useful and not really much for me in particular. Ugh… This is gonna suck."_

He gulped as she walked over to his bedside with a paper filled of the crushed ingredients. He looked at her face and blushed as much as his fevered face could cover up. She still looked pretty even at this point.

She lifted his jaw with her hand, "There. I finally finished. Now, swallow all of it."

He braced for impact as the mush slid into his mouth. The taste was bland and strong in certain disgusting areas and he almost couldn't hold it in, but he had to tough it out, _'Surprisingly, it's not as bad as it was whenever I did it last time. That probably had to do with Suu's added ingredients that made the taste overkill.'_ He tried his hardest to swallow as much as possible. He took some water that was placed by his bedside and drank with the concoction. After a few tears and an empty cup, he finally finished it and was laying back down in his futon. Motoko smiled genuinely at her success and stood up from her seat, "Now, Naru-sempai, if there is nothing else for me to do, then I would kindly like to continue with my meditation."

"Sure, I think I can han-"

"Actually, Motoko?" The man answered weakly garnering the two girl's attention, _'They read to me afterwards. I know that much for certain. She didn't necessarily seem to mind it the last time it happened. Although, I don't know what will happen since it wasn't brought on by someone else. It doesn't hurt to try though,'_ "Do you… Do you think… that… you can… read to me?" He closed his eyes in embarrassment at the sudden demand. To be honest, asking something from Motoko during this time was a chore. He didn't know whether or not she would accept or decline and especially asking Motoko in particular was a scary thought in itself. Last time, she offered to read to him.

"If you insist…" She said while turning away from the door.

Naru looked shocked at Keitaro's sudden interest in her and even more shocked at Motoko's sudden interest in reading to him, _'I think Keitaro really isn't right in the head if he asked Motoko to read to him. She must notice that he's acting unusual.'_ She tried processing those thoughts internally as she watched Motoko sit next to his bedside.

The kendoist pulled a book from her sleeve, "I've been reading this book for quite some time. I wouldn't mind reading to you the continuation of my recent readings."

He smiled softly as she got comfortable next to him. The dedicated look on her face really made him feel calm. Then, he was reminded of Naru who was still sitting next to them. His face contorted slightly at the memories of their past relationship. He didn't hate Naru. He didn't even dislike her. The only problem that he had was her constant attacks at him. He had come to a point where those attacks hurt him mentally. Sure, he was invulnerable to her physical attacks, but the attacks themselves were the problem to his psyche. He only ever wanted to be someone that she could look to and want to be around. Someone she could confide in and appreciate during the day. He wanted to be that. He loved her that much and that's what hurt him the most. The constant struggles with walking on a tightrope around her really left him feeling as if he couldn't truly enjoy himself around her. He had a bad taste in his mouth from their relationship. He needed some time away from her to gather his thoughts and didn't really want to be around her for a little time. Even if this Naru is the past Naru, he still couldn't be around her, "Hey Naru," He said as she looked to him, "You don't have to stay in here. I know that it would be important for you to continue your studying and being with us in this room would only hurt your chances of getting into Tokyo U. I don't want to be a bother to you."

"Eh?" She answered in mild surprise, "I'm completely fine. I need to be here in case you need something. Your fever isn't something to play around with. You're seriously sick."

Keitaro sighed as he looked down, "I know I'm sick, but you must use all of the time that you have and focus on passing the next wave of Exams."

She looked to Motoko and then to him as a thought crossed her mind, "You're not trying to do something perverted are you?"

He only rolled his eyes, "I don't think that will be a problem. I'm too sick as it is and even if I wanted to do anything, Motoko would bury me ten feet underground."

The auburn haired lady thought about what he said and it did make sense, _'He knows better than to mess with Motoko.'_ She thought about her options with a finger to her lips, "Are you sure that you will be okay? What if you need anything?"

He smiled lightly as he looked over to Motoko, "I think I will be okay for the time being. If I ever need anything, I am sure that Motoko wouldn't mind helping me a little."

"Are you okay with this Motoko?" Naru asked the other girl in the room.

"I should be fine," Motoko responded in confidence, "I don't believe Urashima will cause any trouble. I was going to have meditation, but the health of our manager needs to be addressed and Naru-sempai must study for her upcoming exams. It's entirely understandable."

Naru looked unsure at the two of them before she sighed, "Okay, if you say so. Just remember, I'm right above you, so if you ever need me, I will be there."

He gave Naru a reassured smile, "Thanks Naru."

"No problem."

She walked out of his room after giving them one last look before she closed his room door. The only ones left in the room were sitting quietly. The woman in the room looked over to the door momentarily before she turned back to the sickly man in front of her, "I believe we should get started."

"I would like that," He replied happily. This would technically be the second time that Keitaro was read to by Motoko. He couldn't remember what the story was about but he did take a look at the title, "Cry Sword? What's the story about?"

Motoko smiled at his sudden interest, "It is a book about two rivals for the affection of one woman. The men constantly fight the other in an attempt to gain the love of their life, but they are matched evenly so much so, that their actions almost mimic the other. I haven't read much afterward, but the story seemed very interesting whenever I bought it."

"Hmm, I didn't know that you had such a fascination with reading. Do you own many books?" He asked carefully. He didn't want to set her off in any way, but he wanted to know more about the woman that was sitting in front of him. If he was ever going to have a chance, now would be the perfect time.

"I own a few, but not enough to own a collection. I've read the others that I own a few times over and I just bought this one the other day," The woman said, "It is a multi-part series."

"Will you buy the other books?"

"Why do you want to know?" She asks with a hint of annoyance, "You have asked a lot of questions already."

"You can't blame me. I don't really know much about you and I just want to get to know you better," _'She seems to be getting a little hostile with my constant prodding. Let's see how long I can last with this conversation.'_

She looked at the landlord warily before she continued, "I don't have an exact answer for that. I haven't read the book all of the way through. But if the books interests me enough to the end, then I may buy the next parts of the series." _'Urashima sure is acting a little strange. He has asked me more questions than I've ever received from him during the entire time he has stayed here. Something is strange and I don't know what it could be.'_

"Do you have any other hobbies?" He brought up while drinking some water. His head was burning and he needed something to cool him down if at least for a little bit.

"No, I do not. Although, I do like to play a game of Shogi on occasion," She said as she laid her book spread apart upside down on her lap.

"What about your sword heritage?"

"My swordsmanship is not a hobby," She replied with a frown, "It is a way of life. I've spent my life trying to perfect my skill in the way of the sword. It's a little insulting that you would feel that I do it only for a hobby."

"Alright, sorry I insulted you Motoko," He said as he coughed a little into his blanket, "Do you think… after… I get better, that I can practice with you?"

That surprised the woman next to him and she felt a little taken aback, _'Did he really say that he wants to practice with me? Why would he want to do that?'_ "What is your aim, Urashima?"

"It's nothing really," He responded lightly, "I just want to practice my skills with someone that knows what they're doing. You've been doing this for years and I need to practice. I'm out of shape and kinda weak anyway. Would you mind to help me?"

"Urashima, what you have asked from me is highly unusual of your character. I don't know if the fever is affecting your judgment, but I must ask if this is what you really want."

"Yes, Motoko," He said with confidence, "I wish to train with you. Would you allow me the honor of training with you?"

Her hand came up to her chin as she sat in thought. He closed his eyes as he laid there. The fever was really taking a lot out of him and he couldn't deny that his body needed rest. Just as he felt the waves of sleep roll against his conscious, she spoke.

"Alright, Urashima. I accept. Although, I must warn you," She said with her index finger pointed to the air, "I won't go easy on you and you may have a difficult time keeping up with me, but worry not. The more we train, the more your body will adapt to the physical routine. You will be pushed to your limits. Do you understand?"

"I understand," He replied with a cough.

"That is good to hear," She said with a slight smile, "Now, if I may, I would like to read this story."

"Yeah, sure," Keitaro said as he warmed himself up underneath the blankets.

Motoko picked up her book and ran her finger down to the last line that she was reading, "The two men rushed each other with undeniable speed and precision. The grass flipped into the air as their sandals ripped through each step in valiant strides, and in that moment when their two swords met…"

 **Author's Notes: Sorry I write authors notes every chapter. I always have stuff to say. Well, here we are again. Haha. I kinda feel like this chapter is a part two to the first chapter instead of a chapter in itself. I do believe that I wrote it with the best intentions though. Chapter lengths will vary from 3,000 to 5,000 words. I actually wrote more, but I didn't think that it should go with this chapter because it would go on too long and it didn't exactly fit with this chapter. So, whatever else I wrote afterwards will go into the next chapter. I'm kinda nervous at where the story is going. I always have a fear that I'm not keeping the characters in character well enough. Mainly Motoko but also Keitaro. I feel like he's too analytical in this story, but if I were to imagine if he were sent in the past, he would have to use his brain to figure everything out first. But anyway, I thank everyone for their support though. I'm getting some real good thoughts on the story so far. As for Fannyman, yes, I do follow the manga. I've never seen more than two episodes of the Love Hina anime. I always feel that the manga is the real story. I don't bash characters either. It's just not my style.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoy. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of this chapter. I will have the next chapter finished soon. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Win or Lose

VVVVVVVVVV

It was a cool afternoon as a lone woman paced to the front of a store with a book in her hand. Her Hakama was out of place from the rest of the modern day society, but she was unaffected by any other's reactions as she walked through. Motoko walked to the cashier's register as she placed a book on the counter, "I would like to purchase this book please."

"Yes Ma'am, did you find everything to your liking?" The cashier replied happily to the customer.

"It was eventful, although, I can't seem to find any of the other books of this series. Is there a reason why?"

The cashier looked at the book for a moment and noticed right away, "Cry Sword Pt. 2 that you are purchasing now is actually brand new. The author just released it two weeks ago. The third one still hasn't been finished yet. Are there any other questions?"

"No thank you," She replied as she gave the cashier the change.

"I humbly thank you for your purchase," The cashier spouted as the swordswoman left the store. She walked over to the trolley station which was one block down and waited as she held the book in her hands, _'I'm glad to finally have this book. The last one turned out wonderful and I do believe that Urashima enjoyed it as well.'_

The man pointed out earlier was in Hinata-Sou working with his study partner Naru as they practiced for the exam. It only took him three days to fully recover and after he recovered, he started to train with Motoko. To say that she was surprised at Keitaro's skill was an understatement. She didn't expect him to know so much right out of the gate. Believe it or not, this gave Motoko a rush that she hasn't had before. Fighting against a formidable opponent was always rewarding to her and realizing that this opponent resided in the Hinata-Sou only proved more enjoyable, _'He must have been hiding his true skill this entire time. One can see why it would be a good tactic. Making himself seem as if he is weak and helpless really works in his favor and leaves plenty of surprise to his enemies. He is more clever than I had determined before.'_

She walked into the door of Hinata-Sou and took off her sandals, "I'm home everyone."

"Oh, It's Motoko-sempai," A girl said as she walked out of the living room with a smile, "How was your day?"

Motoko smiled a little as she began to walk to a hallway, "It was well. I had a pleasant day, Shinobu."

"Uhm, where are you going?" Shinobu said as she noticed that Motoko was starting to walk down a hallway, "Your room is up the stairs isn't it?"

"I know my room is upstairs," Motoko said averagely, "I want to show Urashima the new book. He said that he liked the last one that I read to him and he wanted to read the new one."

"Uhm, D-do you like Keitaro-sempai?" Shinobu asked out of nowhere.

"What? How could you say such a thing?" Motoko asked as if she were being accused of something horrible, "I think all men are perverts and especially him!" She closed her eyes with a slight blush, "I just wanted to show him this new book since he liked the last one." _'No. There's no way I could fall for someone like him. He's a pathetic excuse of a man. So what if he can hold his own very well against me? He's still a failure at scholastic achievement.'_

"I didn't mean to hurt you Motoko-sempai," The younger girl replied with tears welling in her eyes.

"It's okay," Motoko replied with a sigh, "I'm not really mad or anything. I will go see our manager now."

She started to walk again until Shinobu spoke up, "Motoko-sempai? Keitaro-sempai isn't in his room. He is in Naru-sempai's room studying together with her."

"Oh, well thank you very much for that information," She replied while turning and heading for the staircase.

"You're welcome."

Keitaro and Naru sat quietly in the room with only the sound of pencils wrapping against their papers. Naru was studying, but realized something was off about Keitaro, 'There's something different about him since he first got sick. I don't know what it could be, but he seems more… quiet. As a matter of fact, he hasn't asked me one question about our studies at all! Does he really not need my help anymore or is he not speaking to me for some reason?' She couldn't figure it out for the life of her. She was confused and it kept her from continuing on her studies, _'Alright, I'm going to stop writing and ask him what's up. There must be something going on with him. I have to find out. His silence is killing me.'_

After writing another answer to an equation, she stopped and licked her lips, "H-"

"Naru, do you think wormholes are real?" Keitaro asked surprising her with his immediate question and interruption.

"Uh, I don't know if they're real or not," She said confused, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," He responded while looking back down to his paper and continuing on a problem.

She looked at him incredulously as she reevaluated her questions, "W-"

"What do you think about time travel then?" Keitaro asked again, completely interrupting her and sending her thoughts spiraling.

"I don't think time travel is real," She said after a few moments of hesitation, "Does this have anything to do with what you were spewing about a few days ago?"

"Uhm," Keitaro thought momentarily, "Kinda. Can I ask you a question?"

Naru sighed as she nodded once, "Go ahead."

"Well, hypothetically, if you were somehow transported into the past as your younger self, would you do anything different?"

She looked at him while cupping her chin with her fingers in minor thought, "Hmm, I don't know. It depends on where I was transported in time," She closed her eyes, "It also depends if I don't like my life as it is right now, although, my life is fine at the moment."

"What if it wasn't fine?" Keitaro asked interested, "What if something was so bad that you had the opportunity to change it? Would you do it?"

"Keitaro, what's this all about?" Naru asked suspiciously. She had that look on her face that told Keitaro that she wasn't playing any games. Why was he asking such unusual questions? Then, a sudden thought came to mind, "Oh, I see how it is," She grinned knowingly as she looked down at their papers, "You must be trying to pass the time so you don't have to work as hard."

Keitaro widened his eyes at her accusation, "I-I don't know what you're talking about," He said while scratching his head.

"Sure you don't," She replied while swiping his page from his side of the table, "And I guess you just became smart overnight, huh? Don't even try it," She started to scan the page for errors, "I know… that… huh?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she scanned his page. Each question that she looked over had a correct answer. Now, she was smart, but even so, she couldn't always get every answer right. She had to study most of the night just to even remember most of it. What's worse was Keitaro got questions right that she got wrong, "There's… Just no way. You got everything correct."

"Come on, Naru," Keitaro replied while sweating slightly, "I just got lucky. That's all!"

Naru felt anger boil in her stomach as she saw his answers were right. Never in her life had she had him show her up in academics. She was tops in the nation and yet he got everything right and even the ones she got wrong. She couldn't really handle that as her lip started to quiver, "Get out," She whispered as her head fell over, completely shadowing her eyes with her hair.

"Come on, Naru," Keitaro said while sweating even further, "I didn't mean to get them right, I mean-"

"GET OUT!" She yelled while picking him up and throwing him through the hole in the floor to his room.

He landed head first onto his floorboards with a loud smack as his papers fluttered down with him. The girl picked up a slab of wood and slammed it down on the hole completely blocking Keitaro's reentry. After everything calmed down, he rubbed his head roughly to staunch the pain that pulsed where he landed. His ear had a slight ringing from Naru's scream and he could only sigh as he went over to his papers and reorganized them, "I can't even be smarter than Naru without getting yelled at by her."

Motoko arrived at Naru's door and lightly knocked against it. Even though she didn't know it, she was a little excited to show Keitaro her new book. His interest in her other book gave her a slightly happy feeling. Having a reading partner was similar to having a sparring partner in her eyes and she didn't mind it one bit.

"I said go away idiot!"

Motoko heard from the inside as she stood there with an uncertain face.

"Naru-sempai, it is only I, Motoko."

After some shuffling from the other side of the screen, the door slid open to reveal a puffy eyed Naru, "What is it?"

"Uhm, I was looking for Urashima. Is he not with you?"

"No, he's not. I put him back into his room where he belongs," Naru replied with a look of disgust.

"Okay, thank you," Motoko replied as she turned to leave, _'That was strange. Naru was crying because of Keitaro. Maybe he touched her inappropriately? No, that can't be right. Well, it's possible. Maybe I should ask Keitaro, what happened?'_

"Sigh, just great," Keitaro grumbled as he organized his papers. He was finally doing something right and even then, Naru didn't even like it. He didn't understand why she had to be so rough with him. Even this time, he didn't even deserve to be thrown around like a ragdoll. He's human too, you know? He rubbed the back of his head and felt a knot forming on his skull that hurt to the touch. Wincing slightly as he hissed, he sat down and looked around his room. It was nostalgic seeing his bedroom so plain, "That reminds me, I should buy some new clothes soon. I don't want to keep wearing these jeans and button up forever."

 _*Knock Knock Knock*_

"Who is it?"

He was kinda worried, but surprised that the person knocked besides opening his door.

"It's Motoko, may I come in?"

"Uhm, Sure," He replied as his door slid open to reveal the kendoist in her natural attire.

Her eyes looked at him pensively as if questioning something about him before she slowly spoke, "I saw Naru-senpai upstairs just a moment ago. She seemed to be troubled by something that you did. Care to explain?"

He sweated a little as the memories of being sliced and diced by Motoko at every corner came rushing back to him. It had been a while since he ever thought of Motoko being as vicious as she was back in the day. In this case, she is very well still dangerous and a ticking time bomb ready to burst at any moment, just as Naru was.

"She got mad because I had my answers right on my practice tests," He responded after licking his dry lips, "Sometimes, I just don't get her. She can be nice one minute and then explosive the next."

"Are you sure that's all?" Motoko asked with a hint of death.

Keitaro just sighed, "Yeah, that's all," He proceeded to just lay on the floor with his hands behind his head, "I don't think she really likes me too much."

Motoko inwardly relaxed as she walked into his room and looked around. His room looked oddly plain to her once she actually looked at it. He had a few study books laying around, but for the most part, everything else was tidy. It reminded her of her own room, _'I never realized how neat Keitaro was.'_ Putting that thought to the back of her mind, her eyes rested on the guy laying on the floor. He had a soft look on his face and she couldn't really determine what Keitaro was thinking, but it seemed harmless to relax around him. She went to his side and sat formally on her knees, "Make sure to apologize to her. You've already given all of us hell recently and you should at least keep your dumb ways to a minimum."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Keitaro replied averagely, "I will apologize to her." ' _Even though she doesn't really deserve it.'_ It was quiet for a moment as both people in the room sat gathering their thoughts.

"Why does Naru hate me?"

Motoko gazed over to him intrigued, "Maybe it's because you're a pervert?"

Keitaro inwardly groaned. He was so tired of hearing himself being called a pervert. Yes, he has seen them naked many times, but all purely by coincidence. He'd never intentionally look at them, "Hey, I'm not a pervert. I'm not a masochist so I don't enjoy getting hit either. Accidents happen."

"Yes, but your accidents are plentiful and boundless," Motoko responded plainly, "Your actions have caused us to always be on guard when we bathe. It's unnatural to have so many accidents that we have no choice but to get mad about it!"

Keitaro flinched at her loud tone and she noticed his nervous stature. He wasn't laying on the floor any longer and had actually sat up to slowly inch away from her before she closed her eyes and let out a breath, "The fact remains that we don't trust you. You're a man and a perverted one nonetheless. Until you stop acting like a pervert, we will never stop giving you punishment that you wholly deserve."

Keitaro's face contorted in anger ever so slightly. He was sick of being called that word. That word left him feeling sour, "Don't call me a pervert," He said as he looked to her with a glare, "Call me a failure or useless or even pathetic, but never call me that word ever again. I despise it."

The woman looked over to him wide eyed. She was surprised at his sudden display of backbone, ' _He never said anything like that before. It seems that ever since he had that fever, he has changed his way of life. But let's see him prove it,'_ "Ok," She said with a stare of her own.

He widened his eyes in shock at Motoko's acceptance, "I'm glad that we see eye to-"

"Wait a moment," The Kendoist interrupted, "It will not come this easy," Her arms folded as she closed her eyes, "If you are true to your word then let's make a wager."

Keitaro looked at her curious to her little bet that she planned, "What is it?"

"If you can go a year without doing anything perverted, then all of your actions will be forgiven."

The man's eyes widened in astonishment as he calculated just how long he had to hold off his accidental behavior, "A year? That seems like a very long time!"

"A true warrior will face this test if he is worthy," Motoko responded with a finger in the air, "If you truly mean your words, then you will have one year to make them true. Your actions will be forgiven and you will never hear the word pervert from me ever again."

Keitaro looked at her with uncertainty before looking down to the ground lost in thought, ' _One year is a long time. I don't know if my luck will carry on that long. Then again, I am trying to gain the respect of everyone here. What better way than to start with Motoko?'_ "Okay, but what if I lose?"

Motoko stared onto his face with a lack of emotion, "If you fail this test, then you will forever be branded as a pervert with no remorse from me. You will also be kicked out of Hinata-Sou for good and will have to resign as the dorm manager."

"W-w-what? Really?" Keitaro said shocked, "So, it's the same test as when I first arrived?"

"Precisely," She said with a hint of ice, "What do you say? Are you willing to sacrifice your life here over a word?"

Keitaro thought about it carefully. Truth be told, he was sick of the word pervert. He had heard it all through the years of him living at the Hinata-Sou and he would have to hear it for at least three more years. He didn't want that. He shuddered at the mention of even having that word constantly spoken to him again. It had such a horrible history behind it and since Naru called him that so often throughout the years, he had felt that it was his second name. He felt ridiculed. Could he really live up to the challenge and remain faithful to it? He didn't know. He did know that he never wanted to be called that word ever again. He wanted to prove the others wrong and that he would never instigate another accident ever again. He wanted to be rid of that name once and for all. It was a branding that carried a weight on his shoulders. He could finally be set free from that monster. He could always look to Motoko and see that she would never call him that word ever again. The thought of that made him smile slightly. A warm feeling enveloped his mind as he thought of that scenario of her acceptance of his fully completed year of Perverted Sobriety. He believed that he could accomplish this task, but not with 100% certainty. He would have to push hard on learning from his mistakes and never causing another accident ever again. That was already asking for more than he's worth, but his strength wanted to prove them wrong. He's changed over these years and bringing himself back into the past, he's now able to fix his mistakes. No more will his life consist of constant studying and sleepless nights. No more will he fall over on top of someone or pull someone's skirt down. No more will he walk in on someone bathing and cause misunderstandings. He can now push his effort into keeping himself clean and accident free. He already knows the tests and studied enough in the years of his present, so his study burden will not be as heavy as it was before. He can relax and focus on making his life accident free and changing his relationship with someone that seemed to care more.

He looked over to Motoko and smiled softly before he gained a fire in his eyes and clenched his fist, "You know what? You have a bet!" He reached out to shake her hand.

She paled slightly at touching him, but then, she thought of the results of the test that she was giving him, _'I may lose a sparring partner, but that's okay. He was never important anyway._ '

Her hand reached out to his and they both shook on the bet, "Keitaro Urashima, you have 365 days to change my mind. Good luck. You will need it."

He smiled in determination as he looked at her, "Thank you. I will prove you wrong and show you that I am not a pervert."

"Actions speak louder than words, Urashima," She responded with a slight smile of satisfaction, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must practice before it gets late."

Keitaro smiled to her as she left from his room and closed the door. He let go a sigh before he looked to the air in confidence, "I'll prove them all wrong. Just watch me."

He went to pull his books out to do some small studying at his table before he noticed a white book laying flatly on the ground. He walked over to the place it was placed and picked it up. He noticed that the book was flipped over to the wrong side and flipped it right side up.

"Cry Sword: Part 2?"

 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay on this chapter. Life has been hell for me these past months. I'm only just now starting to get back into my routine. Please forgive me.**


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